The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday extended for another year the mandate of its special rapporteur on human rights abuses by Russia, marking Moscow's second diplomatic defeat in three days.
As reported by AFP , The UN's top human rights body adopted by 18 votes to seven a resolution introduced by several European countries to extend the term of Bulgarian human rights expert Maryana Katsarova for another year.
On Tuesday, the countries rejected Russia's bid to return to the 47-member Human Rights Council. Moscow was kicked out of the UN Human Rights Council back in April last year because the Kremlin invaded Ukraine.
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And yet, 83 countries at the UN General Assembly in New York voted for Russia to return to the highest human rights body UN body. This is significantly more than Ukraine and its partners could hope for. However, the adoption of this resolution was another diplomatic blow to the Russian Federation.
During the vote, Argentina, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ukraine and the United States were among the countries that voted to extend the special rapporteur's mandate.
China, Cuba, Eritrea, Kazakhstan and Vietnam voted against the extension.
India, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Japan were among the 22 countries that abstained from voting.
In September 2022, the Council decided that a special rapporteur on Russia was needed, amid concerns about increased domestic repression by Moscow during its war in Ukraine.
Mariana Katsarova is the first UN-backed observer of the situation with human rights in any of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
The resolution adopted on Thursday calls on Moscow to establish “constructive communication and full cooperation” with Katsarova and provide her with unhindered access, including for free meetings with civil society and people in custody.
Moscow refused to let her in and did not recognize her mandate.
Before the vote on Thursday, US Ambassador Michelle Taylor told the Council:
— No country can be neglected, no matter how upset or discouraged it is; no matter how strong her army is; no matter how wide the sphere of influence of her puppets; and no matter how aggressively it threatens or bribes other countries, — she said.
